Time After Time
by SharanMcQuack
Summary: Webby has cancer, Launchpad goes back in time to get fireblossoms to save her life, while Mr. McDuck and Giz are helping Webby anyway they can.


By Sharan McQuack, Launchpad's wife

With thanks to whoever wrote the story where Webby was dying that has

since evaporated.

IN MEMORY OF GARY CARTER, even if I never met the man.

Webby was very sick. Cancer. Brain cancer. Oy. Everybody was worried

and blue. Launchpad was nearly going frantic with the hopefully

understandable urge to DO SOMETHING.

"Have you tried the fireblossoms?" Launchpad asked.

Launchpad was referring to the mushroom-like extremely rare flowers

that grow deep, deep underground of a volcano called Fire Mountain.

They can cure ALMOST any disease. But are almost impossible to get at.(1)

"Of course I have! Even if they usually don't work against cancer, I tried

anyway! Maybe if the plants weren't weaken by pollution….by there's

no place on the planet that pollution hasn't reached!" Mr. McDuck hollered.

"Sorry, Launchpad. It's not your fault. Webby's going to have to undergo

chemo soon... and IF they get all of it….there's still the chance it could grow

back." Mr. McDuck moaned.

()() No PLACE on Earth that hasn't been reached by pollution...but not

no TIME...()()Launchpad thought.

So, Launchpad borrowed the Millennium shortcut (2)and went far,

far back in time ...to Bubba's time.

That way Launchpad could check that Bubba's disappearance from the

time stream hadn't upset History. It seems to Me that IF Bubba's

disappearance was going to change history, it would have done so

already. But experts were still worried, so Launchpad was allowed to

borrow the shortcut as long as he checked that out, too.

Launchpad followed Bubba back in Time. This wasn't easy, finding Bubba,

as there were no other "humans" around. Bubba had become separated from

his tribe as an egg, had been washed down a river and ended up far away

from other humans.

Curious, Launchpad followed the Time Stream to a possible Future where

Bubba was left in his own Time. Launchpad soon discovered that if Bubba

had been left in his own Time, he would of lived and died alone! Launchpad

hoped that proved to the experts that removing Bubba from his Time didn't

change anything.

Then, it occurred to Launchpad that he could look for the fireblossoms right

in this possible Future that wasn't going to happen because Bubba was going

to another time. That way, it didn't matter if Launchpad (Launchpad HOPED)

accidentally changed something since NONE OF THIS WAS GOING TO

HAPPEN, ANYWAY.

Launchpad searched nearby empty caves and followed them deep,

deep down. Launchpad avoided animals and kept going deeper

and deeper until he FINALLY found the fireblossoms. Launchpad

picked one leaf from several fireblossoms and picked a few others,

whole and alive with soil.

This way, Launchpad could replant them when he returned to our Time.

MEANWHILE, back in "our" Time, Mr. McDuck has been doing

what he can: he's tried fireblossoms and various other natural remedies to

treat Webby.

Giz has shrunk himself tiny and is helping Webby's immune

system fight off the cancer. All this has allowed Webby to avoid the chemo

so far. It's slowed the growth of the cancer down.

Naturally, the Beagles notice that (A) Giz ISN'T on duty and (B) pretty

girl is. How are the Beagles supposed to know pretty girl is Gandra Dee

aka Duckblur? So the Beagles start plotting to take advantage of Giz's

absence to rob the Money Bin.

Biff Beagles (3)went to Gandra, oozing out the charm. But Gandra doesn't

trust "smooth" guys, which might explain her love for Fenton. Fine by ME.

Now Gandra recognized a Beagle when she saw one...by the numbers around

his neck if by nothing else. And decided to pretend to be "snowed", while

quietly using her Duckblur powers to thwart Biff.

Gandra slowed down Time for Biff so that every time he tried to pull a

move on her, he missed. Biff tried to hug her and ended up hugging a tree.

Biff tried to kiss her and wound up kissing the earth. Not what he had in mind,

and he had NO idea how it happened.

Biff didn't suspect that Gandra was Duckblur or that she was slowing him

down so she could dodge and move him without him knowing it. No Time

passed for him while Duckblur did this.

The other Beagles were naturally, trying to sneak into the Bin while

Gandra was busy. However, they kept ended up right back where they

had started from. Duckblur was slowing Time for them and moving

them back without them knowing about it.

The Beagles were soon exhausted and were starting to think they were

cracking up. Until Big Time decided that Scroogie must have installed

some sort of moving sidewalk to protect the Bin. Big Time called for

a temporary retreat, to try again another day.

Launchpad came back to "our" Time with the fireblossoms. Launchpad

delivered them to the hospital Webby was at.

Later, Launchpad found Mr. McDuck arguing with with one of the doctors.

"What do you mean, Webby never had cancer in the first place?" Mr. McDuck

asked.

"Sir, if this is about a bill, be assured we have no intention of charging you

for a false alarm. I have no idea where you got the idea this child ever had

cancer. Webby is perfectly healthy and I've never seen her before."

the doctor said. "How could I tell you she had cancer when she doesn't

and I've never seen her before?"

"If anything, I should be paying you! Those fireblossoms your friend

delivered will save many lives. So will Webby's blood, eventually."

the doctor said.

"Eh?" Mr. McDuck asked.

"You remember the "Attack of the 50 foot Webby" business? Her blood

still has traces of the growth hormone in it. We can use it to effect

cures, we think." the doctor said.

Everybody at the hospital insisted that Webby had never been there before

and certainly did not have cancer, now or ever.

"What happened? And should I go back in Time again for more growth

hormone this time?" asked an understandably confused Launchpad.

"Launchpad! Are YOU responsible for this miracle? Did you change something

while traveling in Time that undid Webby's cancer?" Mr. McDuck asked.

"Wish I could say I did, Mr. McDee. But I don't see how that's possible."

Launchpad replied.

"It was much more MY doing, McDuck! You might as well credit his wife,

Sharan for telling me the Princess Webby was ailing!" a familiar voice said.

"FARDAREK!" yelled Mr. McDuck and Launchpad.

"I promised Webby a present and never did give her one. AND she invited me

to stay for the whole summer and I never repaid that favor. I thought Webby

would greatly prefer never having cancer to a pretty doll." Fardarek said

"Although Launchpad did make things easier by messing around with Time.

Since the Time Stream was in flux as long as he was time traveling, I could

play with Time easier."

Soon, Webby was thanking Fardarek for saving her life.

"See, Unca Scrooge? I told you Fardarek was my friend." Webby said.

THE END,

Sorry for a too early St. Patrick's Day story, but I have bad case of Spring

Fever as in: I'm sick and tired of Winter.

(1) See: "Journey to Fire Mountain" by Me. Also in Fire Flower Power by Me.

I kept referring to them as Fire Flowers in that one, I got to fix that.

(2)Hey, Launchpad made the silly thing airworthy. It's half his.

(3) I made him up. ONE of the Beagles HAS to be good-looking.


End file.
